Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 8 – Seer Stones w/ Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat (Full Interview)
8 snips
Jun 11, 2024 
Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat, an associate professor of Church history, discusses the significance of seer stones in Joseph Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon. They explore the role of seer stones, the history of translating ancient languages, and challenges faced by historians. The podcast also delves into different seer stones associated with Joseph Smith and analyzes historical accounts and challenges. Guest Sarah Allen joins the discussion, emphasizing the importance of discerning truth amidst mockery of historical events.
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Intro
00:00 • 4min
Understanding and Responding to Mockery of Historical Events
04:04 • 2min
The Role of Seer Stones in the Translation Process
06:20 • 28min
Historical Accounts and Challenges of Book of Mormon Translation
34:14 • 12min
Exploring the Different Seer Stones of Joseph Smith
46:31 • 3min
Analysis of Wilford Woodruff's Consecration of a Seer Stone at the Manti Temple
49:07 • 4min
Exploring the Translation Process of the Book of Mormon with Seer Stones
53:16 • 5min
Gerrit Dirkmaat is an associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. He received his PhD from the University of Colorado in 2010, where he studied nineteenth-century American expansionism and foreign relations. He worked as a historian and writer for the Church History Department from 2010 to 2014 with the Joseph Smith Papers Project. He is the coauthor, along with Michael Hubbard MacKay, of the award-winning book From Darkness unto Light: Joseph Smith’s Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon, published by the BYU Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book in 2015. In 2023, they published another book on the topic: Let’s Talk About the Translation of the Book of Mormon. In addition to books, Gerrit is also the author of dozens of academic articles. He currently serves as the editor of the academic journal Latter-day Saint Historical Studies published by the Ensign Peak Foundation. Since 2021 he has hosted and produced a weekly Church history podcast: Standard of Truth. It examines Church history questions and sources. He and his wife, Angela, have four children.